81st Street and Ridge Boulevard Website: www.smaoc.org
Brooklyn, NY 11209 Church Office: (718) 238-8008
Email: churchsecretary@smaoc.org Rectory: (718) 745-8481
His Eminence Metropolitan SABA
Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America
Very Rev. Fr. Michael Ellias, Pastor Rev. Deacon Farid Farkouh
Email: pastor@smaoc.org farkouhfarid@gmail.com
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Tone 7 and Eothinon 8
Apostles Silas, Silvan, Crescens, Epenetos and Andronikos of the Seventy
Today’s Hymns and Readings
We are pleased to welcome you to worship with us today. Please note that only Orthodox Christians who have prepared themselves with prayer, fasting and a recent confession may approach to receive Holy Communion. Everyone is welcome to receive the blessing and partake of the blessed bread at the dismissal. Please introduce yourself to our pastor during the coffee hour and ask him about membership in the Orthodox Church.
Apolytikion of the Resurrection – Tone 7
Thou didst shatter death by thy Cross. Thou didst open paradise to the thief. Thou didst turn the mourning of the ointment-bearing women into joy, and didst bid thine Apostles proclaim a warning that thou hast risen, O Christ, granting to the world thy Great Mercy.
Apolytikion of the Nativity of the Theotokos – Tone 4
Thy nativity, O Theotokos, hath proclaimed joy to the whole universe. For from thee did shine forth the Sun of justice, Christ our God, annulling the curse, and bestowing the blessing, abolishing death and granting us life everlasting.
Kontakion of the Transfiguration – Tone 7
Thou wast transfigured on the mount, and thy Disciples, in so far as they were able, beheld thy glory, O Christ our God: so that, when they should see thee crucified, they would remember that thy suffering was voluntary, and could declare to all the world that thou art truly the effulgent Splendour of the Father.
Epistle – I Corinthians 1:10-17 (Eighth Sunday after Pentecost)
Prokeimenon. Psalm 28.11, 1. The Lord will give strength to his people
Verse. Bring to the Lord, O sons of God, bring to the Lord honor and glory.
BRETHREN, I appeal to you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there is quarreling among you, my brethren. What I mean is that each one of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispos and Gaius; lest any one should say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any one else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
Gospel – Matthew 14:14-22 (Eighth Sunday of Matthew)
AT THAT TIME, when Jesus went ashore he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a lonely place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” And Jesus said, “Bring them here to me.” Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass; and taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Then Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go before them to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
Next week’s homework: II Peter 1:10-19 (Transfiguration of Christ)
Matthew 17:1-9 (Transfiguration of Christ)
POST-COMMUNION PRAYERS – At the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy, a reader will read the Post-Communion Prayers of Thanksgiving. Please reverently hear these prayers before beginning to “chat.”
ANTIDORON – After receiving Holy Communion and at the end of the Divine Liturgy, it is customary to receive a piece of blessed bread or antidoron, the bread that remains after the preparation of the Holy Communion. While antidoron is not Holy Communion, it is blessed, and as such should be eaten carefully so that crumbs do not fall. Both adults and children should always remember to treat and consume the antidoron with respect.
HOLY BREAD – Donors are welcome for July and succeeding months. We ask for a donation of $50/week.
JULY 30, 2023 – EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Mission Statement - The mission of St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church of Brooklyn, NY, is to love and worship God through participation in the liturgical life of the Church, and to live and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We carry out this mission through education, outreach, fellowship, and works of mercy with love for each other, our neighbors, and our diverse world.
SUNDAY, JULY 30 - We pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God Lily Lang and George Sabbagh. Memory eternal!
Razan Al-Khouri Maalouf and Family offer Prayers of Oblation and the Holy Bread for the repose of the soul of the servant of God Rezkallah Alkhoury of Grove City, OH. Memory eternal!
Paul Lang offers Prayers of Oblation for the repose of the soul of his wife, the handmaiden of God, Lily Lang. Memory eternal!
This morning as Fr. Michael is returning from the Archdiocese Convention in Phoenix, AZ, Deacon Farid Farkouh will preside at the Typica Service.
NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 6 – We will pray for the repose of the souls of the servants of God Peter and Victoria Boragi, William B. Cury, Agnes Hamwi, Alex N. Kalaf, Sr., George J. Kalesh, Victoria Katen, Selma Klele, Salwa Khoury, Itidal Makdissi, LouLou Malouf, Margaret Razook, and Victor Samra, Sr. Memory eternal!
FOR THE INFIRM - Please remember our ailing brethren in your daily intercessions, especially, Khalil Eid (Hamilton Park), Nicholas Massab (Norwegian), Rouda Abboud, Rose Abdallah, Yvonne Allawh, Diana Finger, Robert Forcina, George Khoury, Denise McBride, Alfred Nahas, Wade Saadi, Victoria Sleyman, Claudette Teen, Jim Thompson (NJ), George Trisciuzzi, and Rose Zrake (at home).
DORMITION FAST – The final fasting season of the ecclesiastical year, the Fast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, begins August 1 and continues until August 14. The fasting period ends with the celebration of the Dormition of the Theotokos on Tuesday, August 15.
FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION – The Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ is next Sunday, August 6. Donors are welcome to offer the grapes and seasonal fruits for blessing at the end of the Divine Liturgy.
BACKPACK PROJECT – Teen SOYO will once again volunteer to assemble 48 backpacks for underprivileged students in District 20 of the NYC Department of Education in cooperation with FOCUS. The Teens are asking for a donation of $30 to cover the cost of the backpack and supplies. We plan to assemble the backpacks and deliver them to the school in August. Angela Athineos will coordinate the assembly of the backpacks when she returns from Greece. Please make checks payable to St. Mary’s Church with “backpacks” in the memo line. The Teens thank you for supporting their community outreach project!
AIR CONDITIONING – We will set the A/C at a comfortable temperature, but if you feel the need, please remember to bring a sweater. We cannot adjust the temperature for individual needs.
ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN PRISON MINISTRY – Today is Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry Sunday as established by the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States. Please see the flyer in this bulletin for a summary of what this ministry does. To support this ministry, make your check payable to St. Mary’s Church with “OCPM” in the memo line.
SAINTS AND SINNERS GOLF AND TENNIS OUTING – The invitations to the annual Saints and Sinners Golf and Tennis Outing on Monday, September 18, went out last week. Please respond generously to this major event as we have large capital expenditures happening this year. Even if you cannot attend, please consider a sponsorship in the journal. This year we are honoring Sam Kaiami with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Marie Louise Tashji with the Victor Samara Memorial Award. See Daria Mayrose for more information.
PRAYER FOR TRAVEL – O Lord Jesus Christ our God, the true and living Way, who didst will to journey with thy supposed father Joseph, and thy most pure Virgin Mother into Egypt, and didst accompany Luke and Cleopas on their way to Emmaus: we now humbly entreat thee, O most holy Master: do thou accompany now this thy servant by thy grace. Send unto me, as to thy servant Tobias, an angel as a guide and guardian, protecting and delivering me from every evil assault of enemies both visible and invisible, directing me to the fulfillment of thy commandments, and sending me on my way peacefully, profitably, and soundly, and bringing me back again safely and in peace. Grant that I may fulfill all my good purpose unto thy good pleasure, and favorably unto thy glory. For thine it is to be merciful and to save us, O Christ our God, and to thee do we send up glory, together with thy Father who is without beginning, and thy most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
DATES TO REMEMBER
August 1-14 Dormition Fast
Sunday, August 6 Feast of the Transfiguration
Monday, August 14 Evening Divine Liturgy for the Dormition, 7:00 PM
Tuesday, August 15 Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Friday, September 8 Nativity of the Theotokos
Monday, September 18 Saints and Sinners Golf and Tennis Outing
All services will be live streamed via twitch.tv/smaoc.
PLEASE MAKE SURE all cell phones and electronic devices are turned off in church or at home.
FROM THE FATHERS – “Pride comes in various forms. There is worldly pride: this is knowledge; and there is spiritual pride: this is self-love. This is exactly so: people will truly go insane if they expect their intellect to cope with everything they hope to receive from it. But how can our mind get down to its own business, since it is insignificant and infected? Take from it that which it is able to give, and make no further demand upon it. Our teacher is humility. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, and the grace of God is everything. That is your greatest wisdom. Humble yourself and say to yourself, ‘Although I’m a speck of earthly dust, still God cares for me, and may the will of God be done in me.’”
- St. Anatole of Optinat
A Parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America